Angel had already beaten her to it and, bless him, he'd ordered her another mantini. She sidled up to him. "You need to march right outside and talk to Dave before he gets in his car and escapes."

"What?"

"I told him you were his soulmate. But I'm not sure he bought it. I may have shocked him by speaking so frankly about his s.e.xual orientation. You need to rescue him, Angel."

"But-"

"No buts. Amanda has already done the damage by speaking openly about this at the Cut 'n Curl. You need to go pick up the pieces. I'll hold down the fort here and make sure everything is cleaned up. It's not as if I'll have a handsome bachelor on my arm or anything."

"Chica, you are the best."

He left his mantini on the bar as he hurried toward the exit. Charlene had no compunction about picking it up and downing it in a couple of big swallows. Then she picked up her own and wandered out into the foyer to make sure the volunteers collecting the auction money didn't need any help.

Not that she was sober enough to count money. But hanging out at the bar watching the last few auctions would depress her.

The redhead named Tammy had bought him for the whopping sum of $400. Less than Timmy had fetched, which amused Mike, for some reason.

He ought not to be amused at all. Andrea had purchased Tim. Tim had no interest in Charlene. And Charlene had purchased the gay guy.

So much for his well-laid plans.

He hadn't taken more than two steps into the main hall when Tammy came barreling toward him, b.o.o.bs and hair bouncing. She was attractive, with a curvy body and a seductive southern accent that sounded slightly put on. She definitely had dressed on the trashy side.

But she didn't spark any fires.

"Mike," she squealed. "I'm so excited." She jumped up and down a couple of times and clapped her hands. The jumping truly impressed him, especially since she wore three-inch stiletto heels.

"So I was thinking," she said in her bubbly voice, "would you be willing to come up to Columbia next week? There's a cute little restaurant I'd love to take you to. And if you like you can stay the night."

"Uh, well, Tammy, I'm afraid I can't do either of those things. I have to be back at a reasonable hour, and Columbia has to be at least an hour's drive, maybe more."

She frowned. "Why do you have to get back early?"

"I've got a little girl." Of course he wouldn't have Rainbow for much longer, and that thought opened up a deep wound inside his chest. Giving Rainbow to Timmy would be hard.

Tammy's eyes got big and round. "You have kids? They listed you as a gambler in the program."

"I am a gambler. A professional poker player. But I'm still responsible for a kid. She's my niece. And I can't leave her with a babysitter so I can go up to Columbia for a dinner date. I think we should plan on dinner someplace closer. They have good barbecue at the Red Hot Pig Place in Scotia."

"Scotia? Oh, my G.o.d, I thought you were a bad boy out for some fun."

Mike didn't exactly know how to respond to that. He might have come from the wrong side of the tracks. And he might be a professional gambler. And he'd had his share of meaningless flings with mutually consenting females. But he didn't like being called a bad boy.

He'd never liked that label, even though it had been applied to him for his entire life. And to have someone be disappointed in him because he chose to behave like a responsible adult was both ironic and deeply annoying.

"Tammy, I'm happy to have dinner with you at a mutually agreed-upon location. That's what it says in the rules. I can't go to Columbia for dinner. And you should know that I'm only living here on a temporary basis. So if you want to have dinner someplace close by, we better schedule it now."

"I can't believe this. I just bought you for four hundred dollars."

"No, you made a tax-deductible contribution to the Allenberg Animal Rescue Council. And in return, you get a dinner with me at a mutually agreed-upon location."

She frowned. She pouted. And then she turned and stalked away. A minute later, she was shouting out in the foyer that she wanted her money back.

Mike strode out there, only to discover Tammy screaming at Charlene. His neighbor stood behind the table where volunteers were collecting the money from the auction winners. Charlene didn't argue with the woman. She calmly sipped her mantini while Tammy lost the southern belle vibe she'd had going for her.

When Tammy ran out of breath, Charlene gave her the stink eye and said, "You mean you don't want to have dinner with Mike? What? Are you nuts?"

Warmth bloomed in Mike's chest. Charlene was so beautiful. And so sweet. And intoxicated.

He made a snap decision and dug in his pocket for his money clip. He pulled off four crisp hundred-dollar bills and walked right up to Tammy and draped his arm across her shoulders. "Tammy, it's been nice knowing you, but clearly there has been a misunderstanding. So here's your money back. I hope you have a nice life." He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"But-"

"I think it would be best if you left. You've made something of a scene," he said.

Tammy looked around at the annoyed faces of the volunteers and must have realized that retreat was probably the best move she could make. It didn't take her more than half a minute to find the outside door.

Mike turned to Charlene. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tick her off like that. She wanted me to go up to Columbia for dinner and suggested it would be terrific if I turned it into a sleepover. And I told her I couldn't do that because I had a kid. I don't think she was a kid-friendly kind of person."

Charlene blinked drunkenly at him, but said not a word.

"How many of those have you had?" he asked, nodding toward the martini gla.s.s in her hand.

She finished her drink in one big gulp then said, "I have no clue. But I need another one."

She headed toward the door to the main room in a wobbly walk that had nothing to do with high heels, because Charlene seemed to have lost her shoes.

"Uh, dollface, where did you leave your shoes?" he asked.

She looked down and wiggled her toes, the expression on her face a little surprised. "I have no clue. I must have left them at the bar."

Before she could take another step, Mike grabbed her gently by the upper arm and took the empty martini gla.s.s from her fingers. She smelled like bourbon and chocolate, as she gave him an unsteady look. "Are you going to buy me another one?"

"No. I'm going to cut you off and take you home."

She pulled away. "No, you can't, because Angel has gone off to be with his soulmate, and I have to stay here and help the volunteers clean up."

"And would this soulmate be the white dinner jacket guy?"

She nodded and stumbled a little. "Yup. I did my matchmaking duties. Now I can go home and become a crazy cat lady. Isn't that great? And by the way, I'm mad at you."

"What did I do now?"

"You lied about Miriam."

"I didn't lie. She led me to believe that you and Tim belonged together."

"That's so not true. He left with Andrea right after she bought him. I think they're having an a.s.si a.s.sig. You know, a secret get-together. Which is probably a good thing because Tim is a virgin."

"Timmy's a virgin?"

"Uh-huh. That's what Lessie Anderson says."

He didn't ask her who the h.e.l.l Lessie Anderson was. It didn't matter. She was toasted, and kind of adorably so. Her big hair was still big. Her b.o.o.bs were still fabulous. And her big chocolate eyes spoke of a vulnerability that he found irresistible.

He took her by the arm, and she surprised him by kind of leaning up against him. "Mmmmm, that's nice," she said, taking a deep breath.

"What?"

"You. You smell good. She sagged against him, and he put his arm around her. Predictably, his libido woke up. A d.a.m.n nuisance. He didn't take advantage of drunken females. He'd seen too many guys do that to his mom.

"Okay, doll, where'd you put your purse?"

"I don't remember."

Great. He turned toward the volunteers at the table. Wilma sat there giving him the evil eye. "Wilma, I know you don't like me very much, but I need a favor."

Wilma gave him a frank stare. "Don't take it personally, honey. I'm not a big fan of most men."

"Don't worry, I don't. But as you can see, Charlene is wasted. And I need to get home to the babysitter. And since she lives next door, I'm going to take her with me. That is, I'm going to deliver her home. To her home. But she's lost her shoes and her purse. I need the purse because I don't have a key to her apartment."

Wilma frowned. "You aren't really trying to convince me that you're a Boy Scout, are you?"

"Could you find her purse?"

She pushed up from the table. "I'll take a turn around the room."

Charlene continued to lean against him, not fully conscious. He waited five minutes before Wilma returned. "I don't see it, Mike. But you better take her home. And I promise I won't tell a soul she went home with you, and without her key."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, well, maybe you are a Boy Scout."

"Don't worry. I'm going to take care of her. I promise. And when you guys clean up the place, I'm sure she'd be so grateful if you'd keep an eye out for her shoes and purse."

"Sure thing." Wilma got up and came over toward them. She got in Charlene's face. "Honey, are you sure you want this oaf to take you home?"

"Definitely. It beats going home alone." Her words were just a tiny bit slurred.

"Maybe I should go find Simon and Molly, huh? I'm sure your cousin-"

"I'm fine. Mike is okay. Aren't you?" She gave him a drunken grin.

Wilma shook her head. "They never learn," she muttered, then gave Mike a hard stare. "If you take advantage of her, I will be so-"

"Shut up, Wilma. If Mike wants to take advantage of me, that's his business. But he might as well know that I came here looking for a good time."

"And you've apparently had it." Wilma threw up her hands and shook her head but returned to her place at the table, just as the last bachelor auction winner showed up to make her payment.

"All right," Mike said, "it's time to go. And since you are shoeless, I'm going to do the gallant thing." And with that he picked her up and carried her out the front door.

CHAPTER.

23.

Tim walked Andrea out to her car, trying to think of something smart or funny to say. Instead he came up with, "I didn't know you were an animal lover. I still can't believe you spent five hundred dollars on me."

He expected Andrea to open her car door, but instead she turned toward him and leaned back against the car. "Why? Don't you think you're worth it?"

His heart sped up. "You have a good point. The worth of one soul can't be measured in dollars and cents."

"Exactly," she replied. "So, really, a five-hundred-dollar donation to the local animal shelter is tiny. It merely depends on how you look at it."

"If you want to know how I look at it, I feel as if you rescued me."

The only light in the parking lot came from a distant streetlight, so he couldn't read her face, but he thought she might be smiling just a little bit.

"Tim," she said on a long breath, "did I rescue you from Charlene or merely from embarra.s.sment?"

Did he imagine it? Loneliness rang in her voice. He leaned in, bracing his hands on either side of her. "Neither. You've made it easy for me to ask you out on a date."

Her breath caught, and Tim stopped hesitating. He moved in and kissed her. He halfway expected to earn himself a slap, but she yielded to him, opening her mouth, inviting him in.

He lost himself in the kiss for a long time, until her hands flattened against his chest. She gently pushed him back.

He disengaged. Her breathing seemed as rapid as his own. Was she dizzy? He was. Something had sparked the moment their lips met. Something wondrous and amazing and intoxicating.

"Tim, we need to think about this," she said. "Which is more than I did this evening. I'm afraid I acted rashly. In the heat of the moment. I just knew I had to bid on you. I couldn't stand the idea of Charlene winning you. I like Charlene a lot, but I don't think you and she belong together."

"I don't either. So don't beat yourself up over it. I'm sorry you spent so much. You probably could have had dinner with me for free."

She huffed out a breath. "It's not as easy as that."

"Why?"

"Because there's a conflict of interest. You're about to become Rainbow's guardian. And that means I can't have any kind of relationship with you. Although I have decided I want one. You have no idea how I look forward to Rainbow's visits when I know you're bringing her. But you see, that's wrong."